Black cat
by Babykitten77
Summary: Mary ran as best she could, her belly contracting. She cried out, and nearly fell. She hid in the roots of a tree, and gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. She didn't cry. Mary knew that she could never return to her life as a witch. She kissed the babe and knew what she had to do...


**Hey all. My first Harry Potter fanfiction. Hope you enjoy. Please comment and tell me what you think!**

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Chapter one: Zoe

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The letter came through the mail slot, and Zoe's mother heard the haunting hoot of an owl. She looked out side. Out there, sitting on the short fence post, was a great horned owl. She looked at the name, and it read: Zoe Duncan, Second bedroom, 22 George street, Edinburgh, Scotland. It was written in shimmering green ink. It was just about time for her to come down to breakfast, and she called her 11 year old daughter down.  
"Zoe, darling, you have mail. At least, I think it's mail." Mary, Zoe's young red-headed mother, called out. She saw her daughter's head of russet curls bounce down the stairs. She handed her daughter the letter, and Zoe sat down at the kitchen table. She turned the letter over, and broke the seal of a lion, snake, badger and raven. She pulled out the two pieces of parchment, and read out loud,

"Miss Duncan, we are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Inclosed is a list of school materials you will need. You will find everything at Diagon Alley behind the Leaky Cauldron in London. On September 1st, you are to go to Platform 9 and 3/4 in King's cross station. We'll see you there.

Headmistress,  
Minerva McGonagall"

Zoe looked at her mother, and exclaimed in a voice with a rich Scottish accent, "I'm a witch!"  
"So it would seem, my darling. Eat your eggs. We will look up Diagon Alley later. If we can't find it, we will go look in London. I want to get new clothes anyways." Mary said. She looked out side and saw the owl looking at her. She sighed, and knew, she just knew that this day was going to be the worst in her life. She was a witch, she knew she was, but for the sake of the baby girl she carried 11 years ago, she abandoned her witchy ways. Her father was a dangerous man, and the only way she would be able to keep her baby away from that monster was to become a Muggle. She looked at her daughter's pink face, and knew that she would know the truth before the year was out, even if it wasn't Mary who told her.

Later that afternoon, Zoe and Mary were walking around London. They both saw the Leaky Cauldron and Mary went in reluctantly. She hurried through with her head down and came to a stop in front of the brick wall. She tapped the brick three up and two across. She waited while the entrance formed and the pair walked through to see Diagon Alley. Zoe stared at the many stores lining the brick street. Her mother walked all the way down the road to Gringots. She held open the door as he daughter walked in. She froze.  
"Momma..."She said, her voice quivering in fear, "What are those?" She pointed with a shaky hand pointing at the two goblins that stood out side the second door.  
"Don't worry, Rose." Mary used Zoe's middle name. "They won't hurt you unless they have too." She walked right through the second door, and waved her daughter in behind her. Mary and Zoe walked down the path to the goblin sitting at the end. "Anastasia is here to make a withdrawal. " Mary said to the goblin and slid a silver key over to him. He looked at her and the normally stony faced goblin looked surprised. He hopped down and scuttled over to another goblin. The other goblin comes over and motions them over to a door. They sit in the cart, and the ride starts.  
Twisting and turning, they go deep. And deeper. And still deeper down. Mary looked sick, and Zoe enjoyed it. It was like a roller coaster.  
"Ugh. I've always hated this. " Mary said, and Zoe looked at her in surprise.  
''You've done this before?" She asked before the coaster took a sharp turn left. Zoe gasped, and she heard a rumble. She felt a sudden blast of heat, and turned to see a shimmering blue tail whip inside a crack. The cart slows and stops in front of a vault. The goblin took the key, and turned it in a lock. He then gently wiped a long finger down the length of the door. The door slid open to reveal shimmering coins in colors from gold to bronze. Zoe's mother waved her in, and held open a small purse.  
"The gold ones are Galleons. The silvers are Sickles. The little bronze ones are knuts. Seventeen sickles to a Galleon. Twenty-nine knuts to a Sickle. Hurry. I don't like it down here." Mary said quickly, and cinched the purse. They walked back out of the vault, and climbed back on for the terrifying ride back to the surface. Once they where back in the warm sun, Mary took her daughter to Madam Malkin's robe stop. They got Zoe a set of black robes. Next they went to Potage's Cauldron shop. They got the required pewter cauldron. In both shops, Zoe and Mary where a surprise. Mary turned red, and her lips formed a line.  
They went to Ollivander's next. Mary stood out side for a second, and then she grasped Zoe's hand. They walked in and heard a small ding. Mr. Ollivander came walking out and saw Zoe and her mother. He was pale eyed, pale skinned and white haired. He looked at Zoe, examined her bright blue eyes, and pulled out a measuring tape. He measured her hair, legs, arms, eyes and even between her toes. She was startled to realize that he had let go of the tape. He pulled out seven boxes, and one by one, handed Zoe the wand. The first one, he snatched away. The second one shattered a vase, the third he snatched. The fourth one, he smiled at. As soon as it touched Zoe's finger tips, it spit yellow and blue sparks.  
"Hmm. Strange. Very strange." He mused, and turned to put the others away.  
"What's strange?" She asked, but her mother pulled her out, leaving several Galleons on the desk. Zoe complained, and Mary looked at her wide eyes. Mary walked to other shops, leave Zoe out side while she got what was needed. She stopped in front of Magical Menagerie. She handed Zoe twelve Galleons and ten Sickles.  
"Go inside. Pick one creature. No toads. You'll be laughed at. " Mary left, and walked down the street to sit at a table.

Zoe walked inside, and looked around. She smelled so much. It wasn't a good smell. The room was noisy with crickets, rats, cats, toads, snakes and what looked like crabs. She walked around, and walked up to a cage with a black cat in it. The cat turned emerald green eyes on her, and sneezed. Then she stood up and walked over to Zoe. She purred, and when Zoe stuck her hands through the bars, rubbed up against her.  
"Well, I say. that girl likes absolutely no one. And yet look at her, rubbing up in you. Do you want her?" A witch came out and asked her. Zoe nodded and the witch came and lifted her out of the cage. "we never named her, she never responded to anything. We called her Jewels. Nine Galleons. "Zoe handed over the money and smiled.  
"Her name is Bagheera. She told me. She pet the sleek creature between the ears and kissed her head. The witch looked at her in wonder.  
"Well, have a good day.


End file.
